Fire danger ‘very high’ in Angeles Forest over weekend

ARCADIA — Rangers, fire patrols and law enforcement will be out in force this Fourth of July weekend patrolling the Angeles National Forest, making sure no one uses fireworks or leaves a campfire unattended, said U.S. Forest Service spokesman Nathan Judy.

Violators will be cited and punished by a misdemeanor which includes a maximum fine of not more than $5,000 or six months in prison or both, he said.

With Southern California in a third year of drought, brush in the foothills and the forest is very dry and the fire danger is listed as “very high.”

Open wood and charcoal fires are permitted only in developed campgrounds and in picnic areas where a steel fire ring and grills are provided, said the Forest Service. Permitted fires must be fully extinguished and cold to the touch before leaving them.

The Forest Service announced the following front-range road and area closures: